Day: April 18, 2019

The Birchwood Country Club property is now in the hands of a locally based father-and-son construction company.

The property, approximately 120 acres southeast of downtown Nashville, was acquired by Turn-Key Contractors Inc. Jason Davis, 43, is Turn-Key’s president and his father, Robbie Davis, 67, is Turn-Key’s CEO and also the chairman of the Nash County Board of Commissioners.

Jason Davis said the plan is to keep the golf course part of the property for conversion to residential development but sell the clubhouse, the swimming pool and one of the maintenance buildings. Jason Davis declined to disclose the amount Turn-Key paid for the property, but he said the deal was sealed approximately a couple of weeks ago.

“It came down to almost like a formal bid for the property,” Jason Davis said. “And they did receive numerous other prices. And we just came out on top.” (Read more)

I am tickled to death at the petition that has been filed against the Edgecombe County Democratic Party because I have challenged every convention meeting along with other meetings for the last 6 – 8 years asking for minutes, if had a quorum, treasurer’s report and more. Some in the meeting blamed me because of how the meetings and convention went because I was asking legitimate questions. I was even told that at the last Democratic Women’s meeting by Barbara Campbell Davis and Judith Moss. I was an associate member of the Democratic Women up until that meeting because I have not attended another one. I along with Sheriff Clee Atkinson was the only 2 males who paid our dues to be active members.

During the previous county convention before the one held last month when Lawrence Taylor was elected, I had to leave early and mess went down.

I attended a county executive committee meeting at the library that was not announced but heard about it at the board of elections meeting. During that meeting Lawrence Taylor former Chair stated in the meeting that folk said they were not coming to a “Nigger Meeting” and that was the one an only meeting that Attorney Jim Marrow attended. I didn’t attend the convention held a couple of weeks ago and when I heard that Rev. Higgs had put, yes put Attorney Marrow in the 2nd Vice Chair position and Marrow was not present at this meeting. I was like really? I said he has not attended any meetings so why.

I told the party how to file a petition against the former chair Lawrence Taylor last year but they wouldn’t listen. A petition was filed but it was denied because of the wording.

Well I am going to sit back and wait and see how this petition unfold. There are 18 signatures listed and I am not one of them.

I am glad to see these petitioners attempting to do what I tried to get them to do over the years.

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina Rep. Kandie Smith, of Pitt County, has introduced a bill to prohibit state agencies from asking about a job applicant’s criminal record until they are selected for an interview.

On Tuesday, Rep. Kandie Smith introduced N.C. House Bill 834, also called the “Ban the Box” bill, which prohibits state agencies from asking about or considering the criminal record of a job applicant until the applicant has been selected for an interview.

If enacted, N.C. House Bill 834 would apply to job applications submitted to state agencies on or after July 1, 2019.

So far, 29 states and more than 150 cities and counties across the U.S. have already enacted similar laws. (Read more)

One of the most prominent voices of the North Carolina Republican Party plans to move on.

Dallas Woodhouse, who has worked as executive director of the NC GOP since October 2015, will leave the position after his contract expires in June, he told McClatchy on Monday.

The party’s central committee, a group of about 30 people, held an hours-long meeting Sunday night at which it discussed Woodhouse’s future. Early Monday, McClatchy was not able to determine what was decided.

The meeting came after the party’s chairman, Robin Hayes, was indicted for allegedly trying to funnel bribe money to N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and making false statements to the FBI. Hayes relinquished some of his duties at the NC GOP, appointing Aubrey Woodard as acting chair.

Woodhouse wasn’t mentioned in the indictment and says he’s not a target of the investigation. But he testified before the grand jury in December, as McClatchy previously reported.

“I am under contract through the convention,” Woodhouse said in a text. “After that, with the election of a new chair, and after four years, a run longer than most, I am moving on. This was always what I had in mind.”

Woodard said in a statement that Woodhouse would serve in his position until June 15.

“We are going to miss Dallas in this role. He is a fighter and always put it on the line for the NCGOP,” Woodard said. “He leaves as one of the longest-serving Executive Directors and he played an important role in growing our party by spreading our message and helping us win many elections.” (Read more)

PINETOPS – After several citizens approached a Pinetops board member about some recordings they had heard regarding discussions that occurred in closed session, Commissioner Barbara Taylor became concerned.Tuesday during the Town’s reconvened meeting from March 5, Taylor made a motion that no board member on the Pinetops board be allowed to have their cellphones on during any monthly meetings from that point forward.Taylor’s motion passed after a few minutes of discussion with a unanimous 5-0 vote after all board members agreed with her concern regarding the information she obtained from her constituents who brought light to the situation.According to North Carolina law, open meetings can be recorded by any individual and broadcast on websites and social media. But when it comes to closed session, that is a different story because some of that could be violating attorney-client privilege and other items involved under the general statute.“There have been citizens that have come to me and said they have heard things and they don’t know if it is gossip or truth about things that have happened in open session and closed session,” Taylor said. “I don’t know if there are such laws if we should have our phones on or off. (Read more)